Chernobyl: 28 years later

At 1:23 am, April 28, 1986, the nuclear plant in Chernobyl (then part of the USSR) suffered a catastrophic meltdown, spewing radioactive material across the western Soviet Union and Europe. The result of a systems test gone wrong, the disaster is widely considered the worst nuclear mishap in history, matched on the International Nuclear Event Scale by only the Fukushima meltdown in 2011. Though the Soviet government initially tried to hide the accident, the surrounding areas had to be evacuated due to lethal levels of radiation. Twenty-eight years later, the region has become a ghost town, a barren expanse of silent cities. There is much to discuss when it comes to Chernobyl, but for today I want to share photos of what the city looks like now. These frames show a real nuclear wasteland and a world without people.

A nearby city in the 1990s. The forest has begun to blanket the streets.

A school house.

An amusement park.

A swimming pool.

A supermarket.

A Ferris wheel set to be opened three days after the disaster. It was never opened.

Chernobyl bay.

The forest growing over the city.

An abandoned preschool.

Creepy, right? It’s almost like Fallout in real life… (If that reference draws a blank, then it’s like all the post-nuclear movies in real life). The stillness is chilling. Interested in learning more about the Chernobyl disaster and the science behind it? I’ll have more to come in the near future. For now, sound off your reactions below. (I hear it makes you cooler). You know the drill: please like, share, and reblog this post if you like it. You can also subscribe–for free! Just hit that subscribe button. I’ll be back next week with more. Peace, yo.

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2 thoughts on “Chernobyl: 28 years later”

for some very weird reason i didn’t feel creeped out when i saw trees growing in the city. I felt calmed and happy that at least trees were able to make it’s home there. It’s like nature’s cover up for our mess 🙂

I definitely feel some of that, too, Urmumification. It’s comforting at least that the area hasn’t been turned into a complete wasteland. In fact, the region has developed interesting human-free ecosystems. Animals that can live there (or still function there) are safe from humans, which adds a silver-lining of sorts to the total destruction. Thanks for the comment.